Social Anxiety Support

ShinAkuma · 07-04-2009, 05:31 PM

I was, and now that I look back I think that it's stupid. I grew up in a Christian family but didn't go to church for about 6 years simply because I realized that these were NOT my beliefs. After researching the bible I found that it supports slavery, unequal treatment of women, animal abuse, killing of innocent children, etc... I DO NOT even believe in this fairy tale book where people can fly, walk on water, where snakes and rocks talk, etc... I might as well believe in Harry Potter.

Rubikdew · 07-04-2009, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShinAkuma

I was, and now that I look back I think that it's stupid. I grew up in a Christian family but didn't go to church for about 6 years simply because I realized that these were NOT my beliefs. After researching the bible I found that it supports slavery, unequal treatment of women, animal abuse, killing of innocent children, etc... I DO NOT even believe in this fairy tale book where people can fly, walk on water, where snakes and rocks talk, etc... I might as well believe in Harry Potter.

Wow, I think I have met my twin.

TruSeeker777 · 07-04-2009, 08:21 PM

nope. i grew up very unchurched. now i'm a Jesus freak. go figure...

Metallic · 07-04-2009, 08:34 PM

I grew up with a mother who thought that enforcing her religion on me was her duty because she 'promised a priest' that she would raise her family catholic. I was forced to take classes from elementary school all the way through high school until I was finally confirmed. When I was little I was pretty religious because I didn't really know any better, but as I grew older I started to resent everything about religion. The only good thing that came out of it was that I got a couple hundred dollars from family members for getting confirmed. Now I basically hate claiming that I have any sort of belief at all, I won't even say I'm atheist. I just want to be a nothing.

Even though I refuse to participate in religion, my mom still strongly holds beliefs and she has no idea that I don't consider myself Catholic. I guess she'll find out when I get married!

Sunshine009 · 07-04-2009, 08:38 PM

No. Parents not religious.

Lateralus · 07-05-2009, 10:30 AM

No, I was not raised into religion. Although I'd like to think even if I had been, I would've strayed away from it on my own.

KyleThomas · 07-05-2009, 11:46 AM

Nope.

JS86 · 07-05-2009, 12:29 PM

I was made to go to church a few times a year when I was a child, mainly at the instigation of my grandmother. The rest of my family was not religious or anything; only to the extent that all the children needed to be baptized into the religion.

Long story short I'm an atheist now. The change started when I became interested in politics and history and things like that, around six or so years ago.

letitrock · 07-05-2009, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JS86

I was made to go to church a few times a year when I was a child, mainly at the instigation of my grandmother. The rest of my family was not religious or anything; only to the extent that all the children needed to be baptized into the religion.

Long story short I'm an atheist now. The change started when I became interested in politics and history and things like that, around six or so years ago.

Going to church was just something we did, there was no forcing needed, this was like when I was really young, like kindergarden/early elementary school. Then we stopped then my mom wanted us to start going again in like around 9th grade, but I hated it-it was boring and meant nothing to me and I realized I was an atheist. But she still forced us to go.

lastofthekews · 07-05-2009, 03:37 PM

I was made to to church as a child up to the age of about 11 or 12. I was also made to join the Boy's Brigade, which is a Christian organisation. I hated my time there, I was bullied by the other children but had to keep going. I stopped going to church and Boy's Brigade as soon as I was a teenager.

I don't think children should be made to go to church, as they are having their parent's beliefs enforced on them at an age when they are very impressionable. I think people should be allowed to make up their own mind on what their beliefs are, not have them forced on them as children.

I think children should be taught about various religions in an unbiased way, learning where the religions originated from, and also be taught that a lot of people are also atheist, so that they can be knowledgable of all the various beliefs and so form their own opinions on what they believe in. This would hopefully lead to people having true beliefs rather than blindly following a faith without really knowing why they do.

Melinda · 07-05-2009, 04:03 PM

Yeah, I was made to go to church every week as a kid by my mother and grandmother. I also went to church camp every summer in junior high but that was actually really fun so I didn't mind. And then in high school I went (of my own choice) to youth group every week instead of the traditional church session--again it was mostly to be with my friends, I wasn't really interested in the bigger message. When I came out as an atheist in 12th grade, nearly all the people I had befriended in church were surprisingly supportive.

As for being raised Christian, the only thing I would complain about is the fact that I was way too sheltered growing up, and most of it was very unnecessary and only served to make me feel like an outsider.

power2theweak · 07-05-2009, 04:28 PM

My parents took me to church when I was a child. And I'm glad that they did.

scaredtolive · 07-05-2009, 05:09 PM

yeah my family was very religous up until I was around age 14 or so. My dad was even a preacher. Our whole family did a complete 180 though and none of my immediate family attend church regularly now. I haven't been in probably 8 or 9 years. I can understand why they made me go though. I was a kid and did what I was told. If I was religious and had kids I would probably drag them as well.

SilentLoner · 07-05-2009, 09:40 PM

Yup, up until six or seven my parents took me. Paternal side of the family was staunch catholic. Though they spooked me so much I was the one insisting that my parents take me to church for a lot longer.

Glad I'm free of that now. Around 14 pr 15 I began to realize I didn't believe in it. Happier than ever as an atheist for a few years now.

slylikeafox · 07-05-2009, 10:44 PM

No. My mom took me a few times when I was really young, but I wouldn't call it forced. I'm not sure when the last time was that I went to church. It has to be approaching two decades since I've been to church.

bezoomny · 07-06-2009, 04:56 AM

Yeah. I went to a parochial elementary school, so I went to church every Friday from 1st to 4th grade. And I went to Methodist, then Presbyterian, then Unitarian, then Episcopalian church with my mother every Sunday (my mom moved around churches a lot) until I was about 18. At that age I started going to Mass, and my mom refused to go with me. For some reason that (Roman Catholicism) was the only denomination she'd never even attend church with.

But yeah, I went to Sunday school, got confirmed as a Presbyterian, was in the youth choir and youth group. I always liked church.

Zephyr · 07-06-2009, 07:31 AM

I had to go with the parents when I was younger. Eventually, we just stopped going. Haven't been inside a church in years. I'm fine with that. Maybe I was going to the wrong church anyway and just making God madder and madder.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lastofthekews

I don't think children should be made to go to church, as they are having their parent's beliefs enforced on them at an age when they are very impressionable. I think people should be allowed to make up their own mind on what their beliefs are, not have them forced on them as children.

I think children should be taught about various religions in an unbiased way, learning where the religions originated from, and also be taught that a lot of people are also atheist, so that they can be knowledgable of all the various beliefs and so form their own opinions on what they believe in.

In a perfect world, that's how it would be done. I'm wondering how many religious people would really want that, though. If they're serious, really take this stuff as truth, they'd want their kids indoctrinated into the 'correct' religion. Learning about all those other false religions might lead to horrible consequences, such as eternal damnation.

Quote:

This would hopefully lead to people having true beliefs rather than blindly following a faith without really knowing why they do.

Right. And that could be a real problem.

tvgirl48 · 07-08-2009, 12:01 AM

I was always made to go to Church as a kid. My parents still expect me to go to Church with them when I’m home from school. What always bothered me was how no one ever asked me if I was Catholic, or what religion I was or anything like that. My parents were Catholic and raised me Catholic so of course I was supposed to be Catholic. Okay, they do at Confirmation, but how old are kids at that sacrament? Certainly not old enough to make a decision of that magnitude. Of course all I could think about growing up was why be Catholic and not Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, Baptist, Buddhist, etc? How did my parents know that Catholicism was right? Because that’s how they were raised? What a vicious circle. I’m basically a closeted atheist now (with my parents only, everyone else knows) because I don’t want to hurt them by telling them I don’t want to be Catholic or religious at all for that matter. It’s very important to my parents to raise their children Catholic and I can’t blame them since they did what they thought was right in raising their kids.

It’s just crazy though, I still have all the basic values they wanted me to have: compassion, kindness, tolerance, honesty, etc. Just minus all the superstition. And I do service work with a secular group on my campus, but I still know that my parents won’t see my atheism/secular humanism as a good thing. For now though my parents are just holding out hope I will come back to the church in my older years like they did, since I’m clearly just going through some youthful rebellion or apathy and will return to the faith someday. I’m much happier as an atheist. I had more questions than answers when I was a believing Catholic, even though the answers are what people want from religion since people apparently can’t live with saying “I don’t know.”

(Oh, and I went to Catholic schools up until college, when my first roommate at a public university was a devout Christian. Oh the irony of it all. I don’t regret the high school though, good education despite the religious parts.)

Okay...I'm done now :-)

Dempsey · 07-08-2009, 04:18 AM

Never stepped foot in a church.

Oh, once for a wedding.

I believed in god as a kid (parents atheist) I think because of what I was told in school. At that age I think I had a problem comprehending a world that wasn't 'created'. I pretty much stopped believing somewhere in primary school.

I actually think I remember the point where I stopped believing. It was a nice moment of independent thought.
I was watching a cartoon once, with stories about the bible (nothing else on I assume). It had one character, an Egyptian I think, talking to a christian. The christian said something about how 'god' helped him and will save him. The Egyptian says, "but which god is that?" and starts naming all different gods he believes in.
The Christian replies "there is only one true god".
I remember being quite angry at this arrogant statement. "Says who? Why can't his gods be true? You offer no more evidence than him".

eileenAKAmommy · 07-08-2009, 04:20 AM

Forced to go to a Catholic Church from as far back as I can remember until the age of 18. It was horrible, and I would never MAKE my kids go. When I was sick, I still had to go.

When I was 16 and got pregnant, I was forced to go to a priest in church and proffess my sins.

07-04-2009, 05:31 PM	#1 (permalink)
ShinAkuma Status: SAS Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 281	Were you forced to go to church as a kid? I was, and now that I look back I think that it's stupid. I grew up in a Christian family but didn't go to church for about 6 years simply because I realized that these were NOT my beliefs. After researching the bible I found that it supports slavery, unequal treatment of women, animal abuse, killing of innocent children, etc... I DO NOT even believe in this fairy tale book where people can fly, walk on water, where snakes and rocks talk, etc... I might as well believe in Harry Potter.

07-04-2009, 08:21 PM	#3 (permalink)
TruSeeker777 Status: kept in His hands Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Arizona Gender: Female Age: 43 Posts: 5,081	nope. i grew up very unchurched. now i'm a Jesus freak. go figure... __________________ "no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted..." ~ aesop Outcast Press - hope thru art - My Myspace page

07-04-2009, 08:34 PM	#4 (permalink)
Metallic Status: Suit up! Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: North Carolina Gender: Female Age: 21 Posts: 381	I grew up with a mother who thought that enforcing her religion on me was her duty because she 'promised a priest' that she would raise her family catholic. I was forced to take classes from elementary school all the way through high school until I was finally confirmed. When I was little I was pretty religious because I didn't really know any better, but as I grew older I started to resent everything about religion. The only good thing that came out of it was that I got a couple hundred dollars from family members for getting confirmed. Now I basically hate claiming that I have any sort of belief at all, I won't even say I'm atheist. I just want to be a nothing. Even though I refuse to participate in religion, my mom still strongly holds beliefs and she has no idea that I don't consider myself Catholic. I guess she'll find out when I get married! __________________ sometimes even to live is an act of courage. When I get sad, I stop being sad, and be AWESOME instead. True story.

07-05-2009, 10:30 AM	#6 (permalink)
Lateralus Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Ohio Gender: Male Posts: 604	No, I was not raised into religion. Although I'd like to think even if I had been, I would've strayed away from it on my own. __________________ "Whatever dramas are going on in my life, I always find that place inside my head where I see myself as the cleanest, tallest, strongest, wisest person that I can be." -Layne Staley

07-05-2009, 04:28 PM	#12 (permalink)
power2theweak Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 251	My parents took me to church when I was a child. And I'm glad that they did. __________________ To all of the friends that I've made here: please keep in touch! Send me an email from time to time! I wish you all the best!

07-04-2009, 08:38 PM	#5 (permalink)
Sunshine009 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Gender: Female Posts: 1,643	No. Parents not religious.

07-05-2009, 11:46 AM	#7 (permalink)
KyleThomas Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: UK Gender: Male Posts: 448	Nope.

07-05-2009, 12:29 PM	#8 (permalink)
JS86 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Melbourne, Australia Gender: Male Age: 23 Posts: 310	I was made to go to church a few times a year when I was a child, mainly at the instigation of my grandmother. The rest of my family was not religious or anything; only to the extent that all the children needed to be baptized into the religion. Long story short I'm an atheist now. The change started when I became interested in politics and history and things like that, around six or so years ago.

07-05-2009, 03:37 PM	#10 (permalink)
lastofthekews Status: SAS Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Leicester, United Kingdom Gender: Male Age: 31 Posts: 909	I was made to to church as a child up to the age of about 11 or 12. I was also made to join the Boy's Brigade, which is a Christian organisation. I hated my time there, I was bullied by the other children but had to keep going. I stopped going to church and Boy's Brigade as soon as I was a teenager. I don't think children should be made to go to church, as they are having their parent's beliefs enforced on them at an age when they are very impressionable. I think people should be allowed to make up their own mind on what their beliefs are, not have them forced on them as children. I think children should be taught about various religions in an unbiased way, learning where the religions originated from, and also be taught that a lot of people are also atheist, so that they can be knowledgable of all the various beliefs and so form their own opinions on what they believe in. This would hopefully lead to people having true beliefs rather than blindly following a faith without really knowing why they do.

07-05-2009, 04:03 PM	#11 (permalink)
Melinda Status: SAS Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Gender: Female Age: 21 Posts: 100	Yeah, I was made to go to church every week as a kid by my mother and grandmother. I also went to church camp every summer in junior high but that was actually really fun so I didn't mind. And then in high school I went (of my own choice) to youth group every week instead of the traditional church session--again it was mostly to be with my friends, I wasn't really interested in the bigger message. When I came out as an atheist in 12th grade, nearly all the people I had befriended in church were surprisingly supportive. As for being raised Christian, the only thing I would complain about is the fact that I was way too sheltered growing up, and most of it was very unnecessary and only served to make me feel like an outsider.

07-05-2009, 05:09 PM	#13 (permalink)
scaredtolive Status: SAS Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: here and there Gender: Male Posts: 524	yeah my family was very religous up until I was around age 14 or so. My dad was even a preacher. Our whole family did a complete 180 though and none of my immediate family attend church regularly now. I haven't been in probably 8 or 9 years. I can understand why they made me go though. I was a kid and did what I was told. If I was religious and had kids I would probably drag them as well.

07-05-2009, 09:40 PM	#14 (permalink)
SilentLoner Status: Otaku Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lost in thought, though occasionally I may be located at an anime convention. Gender: Female Age: 22 Posts: 2,451	Yup, up until six or seven my parents took me. Paternal side of the family was staunch catholic. Though they spooked me so much I was the one insisting that my parents take me to church for a lot longer. Glad I'm free of that now. Around 14 pr 15 I began to realize I didn't believe in it. Happier than ever as an atheist for a few years now. __________________ "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something.” -Plato "When a cold wind blows it chills you - chills you to the bone. But there's nothing in nature that freezes your heart like years of being alone." OTAKU UNITE! “We honor Dr. Tiller’s legacy of service to women.” Dr. George Tiller 1941 -2009 Memorial Web Page http://www.iamdrtiller.com/ http://www.remembertiller.com/

07-05-2009, 10:44 PM	#15 (permalink)
slylikeafox Status: SAS Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Michigan Gender: Male Age: 23 Posts: 1,685	No. My mom took me a few times when I was really young, but I wouldn't call it forced. I'm not sure when the last time was that I went to church. It has to be approaching two decades since I've been to church. __________________ "Aim at the sun, and you may not reach it; but your arrow will fly far higher than if aimed at an object on a level with yourself" - Joel Hawes

07-06-2009, 04:56 AM	#16 (permalink)
bezoomny Status: the new disease Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Mississippi Gender: Female Age: 21 Posts: 2,814	Yeah. I went to a parochial elementary school, so I went to church every Friday from 1st to 4th grade. And I went to Methodist, then Presbyterian, then Unitarian, then Episcopalian church with my mother every Sunday (my mom moved around churches a lot) until I was about 18. At that age I started going to Mass, and my mom refused to go with me. For some reason that (Roman Catholicism) was the only denomination she'd never even attend church with. But yeah, I went to Sunday school, got confirmed as a Presbyterian, was in the youth choir and youth group. I always liked church. __________________ bravo - echo - zulu - oscar - oscar - mike - november - yankee

07-08-2009, 12:01 AM	#18 (permalink)
tvgirl48 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ohio Gender: Female Posts: 213	I was always made to go to Church as a kid. My parents still expect me to go to Church with them when I’m home from school. What always bothered me was how *no one ever asked me* if I was Catholic, or what religion I was or anything like that. My parents were Catholic and raised me Catholic so of course I was supposed to be Catholic. Okay, they do at Confirmation, but how old are kids at that sacrament? Certainly not old enough to make a decision of that magnitude. Of course all I could think about growing up was why be Catholic and not Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, Baptist, Buddhist, etc? How did my parents know that Catholicism was right? Because that’s how they were raised? What a vicious circle. I’m basically a closeted atheist now (with my parents only, everyone else knows) because I don’t want to hurt them by telling them I don’t want to be Catholic or religious at all for that matter. It’s very important to my parents to raise their children Catholic and I can’t blame them since they did what they thought was right in raising their kids. It’s just crazy though, I still have all the basic values they wanted me to have: compassion, kindness, tolerance, honesty, etc. Just minus all the superstition. And I do service work with a secular group on my campus, but I still know that my parents won’t see my atheism/secular humanism as a good thing. For now though my parents are just holding out hope I will come back to the church in my older years like they did, since I’m clearly just going through some youthful rebellion or apathy and will return to the faith someday. I’m much happier as an atheist. I had more questions than answers when I was a believing Catholic, even though the answers are what people want from religion since people apparently can’t live with saying “I don’t know.” (Oh, and I went to Catholic schools up until college, when my first roommate at a public university was a devout Christian. Oh the irony of it all. I don’t regret the high school though, good education despite the religious parts.) Okay...I'm done now :-) __________________ -"Do you have a dream for your life? Your future? Yes?" -"Of course. Do you?" -"It might sound weird. I want to someday be content. Just...feel comfortable, like everyone else. I want..." -"...a normal life." - Dexter

07-08-2009, 04:18 AM	#19 (permalink)
Dempsey Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Sydney Australia Gender: Male Age: 21 Posts: 631	Never stepped foot in a church. Oh, once for a wedding. I believed in god as a kid (parents atheist) I think because of what I was told in school. At that age I think I had a problem comprehending a world that wasn't 'created'. I pretty much stopped believing somewhere in primary school. I actually think I remember the point where I stopped believing. It was a nice moment of independent thought. I was watching a cartoon once, with stories about the bible (nothing else on I assume). It had one character, an Egyptian I think, talking to a christian. The christian said something about how 'god' helped him and will save him. The Egyptian says, "but which god is that?" and starts naming all different gods he believes in. The Christian replies "there is only one true god". I remember being quite angry at this arrogant statement. "Says who? Why can't his gods be true? You offer no more evidence than him".

07-08-2009, 04:20 AM	#20 (permalink)
eileenAKAmommy Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Corning, NY Gender: Female Posts: 130	Forced to go to a Catholic Church from as far back as I can remember until the age of 18. It was horrible, and I would never MAKE my kids go. When I was sick, I still had to go. When I was 16 and got pregnant, I was forced to go to a priest in church and proffess my sins.